Rambles Shambles
by Rasdra
Summary: Chapter 1: The Recon Duo. Hirogawa and his partner Maikawa get trapped while doing information gathering on the front lines. Rated T just incase. Oneshot compilation


Sword Art Online

**Recon Duo**

June 2024. Floor 62

I've overdone it this time. Fear heightened every second, making time seem slow yet irrevocably, mercilessly fast as the mace crashed into my chest, hammering away my remaining HP as I lay paralysed. There just wasn't enough time to get away only regret remained..

* * *

><p>2 Hours Earlier:<p>

"Are you ready to go Mai?" I asked my girlfriend. She looked up at me from under her hood, and smiled

"Yea lets go Hiro" she said before turning and stalking ahead towards the 62nd floor maze. I hurried to catch up.

Maikawa and I, Hirogawa were both best friends from middle school, up until Mai went to university while I started training part time for my chef qualification while working as an assistant chef in the family restaurant. We'd both stayed in touch as much as possible and mmorpgs provided the most fun medium for regular contact. So, when a year later Sword Arts Online came out, we both made sure to buy the Nervgear and join the first vrmmorpg; meeting in VR was better than our current situation. Or so we'd thought, after logging on with 10, 000 other people we'd been trapped here in this unreasonable death game.

From the start we have been together. We had immediately married in the game to share experience, equipment and coll and when fighting as a 2 person party, we levelled almost as fast as the solo players but with increased support. Personally I don't think I would have managed without Mai, she was my strength and kept me fighting. Protecting Mai and us both working together to clear the game gave me a strange sense of fufillment. Getting out was the goal, but I secretly cherished the unburdened time we got to spend together.

Playing as a two person team from the start, yet fearing for each other's safety, we've developed a rather unique battle strategy with hit-and-run ambush tactics. We both slinked through the entrance to floor 62 boss's dungeon. This levels' dungeon was particularly good for sneaking and hiding. We quickly traversed the already mapped floors, avoiding traps and mobs and only fighting when necessary. It took well over an hour to reach an unexplored area in the North East region of the map. Mai used her enemy detect skill, and held up three fingers to me: in the room ahead there are at least three monsters. I nodded and we continued on in tandem, splitting up, staying near the walls and circling our enemies.

So far in this dungeon the enemies had been various spider-like monsters, which was horrifying to more than an average number of players. The monsters here were very well endowed with venoms of damage health and paralysis, and were fast, but lacked defence and attack damage compared to other monsters on this floor. Less clearers had been coming here though so this floor was taking a little longer than what the average had been for the past few floors below. Two people had died on this floor when paralysed by a particularly strong venom and then attacked by a fast respawning mob room. The problem wasn't the spiders themselves really, but a new attack 'poison barb' was an accurate and ranged attack that the spiders flicked at players at high frequency. The potency on the barbs was enough to cause 2 seconds of paralysis-more than enough time for them to close in and re-poison their victim. The webbing also lowered players dexterity, making dodging the barbs more difficult and exhausting.

The enemies suited our style. Mai and I were primarily reconnaissance players: gathering information, mapping and fighting enemies to discover their weaknesses. We are experts at scouting on the front lines and many times we have provided information at large group boss strategy meetings. I had trained in poison making so inversely was also skilled at healing potions and antidotes. The irony with the spiders was that a perfect antivenom could be made directly from their venom-sac loot drops combined with a mushroom ingredient that grew inside the spiders nests as long as the cooking and poison skills were high enough. Preparing to go further in we had both spent the past few days ambushing lone monster spiders and collecting enough ingredients to make a huge stockpile of antivenom potions. There had been a few close calls with some fast respawning rooms but our ability to run away has been well honed over the past year and a half.

The three Arachnides level 69 came into view, evenly spaced in a triangle. If we had walked straight in, only one Arachnide would have been visible due to the boulders the other two were behind. Taking out a throwing knife I prepared to equip my axe as soon as I completed the throw. A pebble thrown from Mai rolled in front of the Arachnide. That was the signal, I threw my knife at the spider as it turned towards the source of the pebble, it embedded into the spider's oversized abdomen with a satisfying thump. My strongest personal paralysis poison coated the blade, and would hopefully paralyze the spider for at least 5 seconds. I ran behind the spider to face the two other advancing spiders. I heard Mai running behind me, probably hacking the limbs off the spider with a butchers' efficiency and a dancers' grace. It didn't stand a chance.

I faced the two advancing spiders, dodging poison barbs where possible and blocking others with my shield where necessary. As soon as they came in range, I used woodcutters sweep, hitting them both and decreasing the HP slightly. One recovered quicker and leapt towards me, slimy fangs going straight for my face.. A long halberd appeared in front of me, going straight into the Arachnide's mouth and dealing 30% damage. Mai was on time as usual, the Arachnide was lifted above the ground and I used the momentum from the halberd to duck under the Arachnide and hack at its abdomen. Its remaining HP was destroyed in three successive blows. The final spider had already recovered at this point and was fighting with Mai, I joined her and we made short work of the final spider.

I laughed and said triumphantly "Yes now that's our amazing combination!"

"We have definitely gotten good at fighting bugs these past few months." Mai agreed.

"I know, only two floors ago it was swarming bees, and on floor 54 it was beetles-"

"-Yeah and we trained a lot before floor 50 in that ants dungeon."

We started checking the room for loot and items. The Arachnides had dropped the usual venom-sacs and one had dropped a rarer spider barb. –That would sell for a good price as a good level dagger with minor poison properties.

"Hiro I've found a chest over here"

"Coming" I walked over. Mai was picking the lock, a skill I had no ability in. The lock clicked and Mai said

"Done, now its' your turn." I went over it and used my skill trap detect, finding a hidden alarm-upon-opening trap, I quickly worked to disarm the trap. In the second month of being stuck in SAO we had both nearly been killed by an alarm type trap that had summoned a mob, since then I have trained my trap detection and disarmament skill relentlessly.

I opened the chest and we checked the contents. The items were pretty good value: a shield with a high defence: low weight ratio, some healing potions and a named shortsword: gleaming stinger.

"Nice" Mai commented. We put the items into our shared inventory and quickly completed the room. There was only one corridor leading away from the room so we cautiously advanced, turning a corner and there directly in front of us were two huge doors.

"Mai I think we're at the bosses room."

"We're the first to find it? Its been a few levels since that happened."

We looked at each other nervously.

"Do you want to head back and rest up or should we check it out?" I asked

"mm.. the nearest safe zone in here is a few rooms back and we'd have to fight our way back here…"

"so we should check it out in a quick sweep before heading back with our information"

"I'm not too tired but bosses are really risky" Mai looked unsure, however I had this unfounded confidence brimming inside me-probably leftover from our recent fight.

"I think with our skills we'll be fine, if it looks dangerous, we can run away, floor 62 has been pretty easy so far for us since many people are arachnophobic and are limited by fear while we haven't had a problem because we are no more scared than on other levels." My excitement was infectious

"Alright then."

We entered the boss room slowly, with Mai in the forward position. It was a bright, warm room, a complete contrast to the dungeon behind us. It felt like a temple. There was a huge altar and on it sat a huge four-legged spider, with a Buddha statue sat behind it. The spider was so big, the seated 5 meter Buddha statue was nearly blocked from view. Mai attacked with myself not far behind. I provided ranged support with my throwing knives and used healing items on Mai when she took damage. The spiders health dropped by 25% as Mai shouted

"Switch"

I readied my axe and jumped in, timing my charge attack as Mai finished her 4 move combo. I hit the spider but it was only a minor blow –it was fast and its HP bar dropped by only 5%.

CRACK

A huge sound shook the chamber, causing me to hesitate, at that moment the spider attacked spraying some blue goo from its mouth, like a water hose. It hit both me and Mai, gluing us to the spot instantly.

"Shit, time to escape NOW." I shouted.

Except we couldn't, the blue webbing held our hands in place and we couldn't move. A terrifying shadow loomed over us, I looked up in horror, the 'stone buddha' was actually the boss! As I looked at it it highlighted as The Kali. The spider we'd been fighting scuttled up onto the back of the true boss and merged with it, creating a 10m tall giant 6 armed monstrosity.

"Ahhhhhhhhh" we screamed in unison, Kali had a curved blade in one hand, a club in the other and the remaining 4 arms folding to cover the stomach of Kali. The club descended down and crushed my avatars leg. Even with a high defence and health, my HP drained by nearly half in one hit.

I was already dead, there was nothing I could do. Two more hits and a microwave would fry my brain. The 'shock' from the impact left me reeling although there was no pain. I could hear someone shouting at me

"Hiroki get up get away please get up" it was Mai, somewhere behind me and as stuck as I was. She was going to die too!

"No no no" I started straining wildly, although my body made no response, the club crashed down again, and my HP dropped to only 2% remaining. Dazed but still trying to escape –I can't leave Mai alone, I can't let her die thought were all that dominated my head. But it was too late, The Kali boss was swinging for a final strike.

* * *

><p>As the club descended, these words flashed in front of me: Skill unlocked Unity: [Share vitality]. Before the club hit, my HP suddenly regenerated 95%, and the club smashing into me dropped my health to 46%. The blue goo shattered at Kali drew back for a final strike, I was up instantly and running to Mio, who was behind me, also getting up but a little slower. Rapidly activating my menu I used two potions in quick succession, one on Mio and then myself. We both didn't hesitate or even look at each other, we just ran towards the exit, the feel of a whooshing slice from Kali's sword brushed past my head as we reached the exit, chipping 40% of my HP down to red again but then we were out –safe. The boss roared in rage at its lost prey. We slumped in the corridor panting.<p>

"Lets…teleport out of…here" I gasped

"Yeah, home."

We held hands and I activated my crystal and I shouted

"Teleport Algade" and we disappeared in a column of blue light.

* * *

><p>We'd both staggered to our shared apartment in a medium expense level in the second largest city in Aincrad discovered so far, and when we got in, Mai leapt at me, sobbing. Telling me about what an idiot I am and she was soo angry but soo happy I was alive. I felt the same and we both hugged each other in despair, the after effects of our near death experience settling in.<p>

"I promise.." I whispered "I promise we'll do better, I'll protect you and we will never attack a boss without either support or intel again"

Sniffing Mai nodded but ignored me. We sat on the floor in a quiet silence. Eventually, she fell asleep and I carried her to the bed. I left her a message that would arrive as soon as she woke up, and headed out.

Locating the information merchant 'Argo the Rat' didn't take too long, I PMed her and asked to meet and she said to come to the usual location. The usual location was an indistinct alleyway that Argo liked to use regularly. For what reason I didn't know but I suppose I could buy the reason from her for a price. Deciding I wasn't that interested in knowing why she liked this particular alley over the next I approached her as she was tucking into some sort of pie food item. Her drawn on whickers twitched almost realistically as she munched.

"You look exhausted Hirogawa, and I see you're alone. Where is Maikawa? I don't think I've ever seen you two –The Recon Duo- apart"

"We aren't always together," I answered carefully, my head was hurting badly, but this couldn't wait.

"Hmm" Argo said "So what are you here for?"

"I have mapping information and other specifics on the 62 floor. I want your guarantee that this information won't be sold but will be freely distributed before I send it to you"

Argo glared at me, I'd insulted her professional pride since her motto was to 'not sell free information' for money. That normally meant she didn't sell information on bosses since the information on them was counted in lives –Not something anyone wants on their conscience.

"Of Course I'll send it to all the clearing groups and guilds straight away. But you won't be getting any commission from them if you give me the information."

"Yes I understand," losing the commission each guild paid for valuable information from recon specialists like Mai and I stung a little but this boss had nearly killed us –it was dangerous due to its unique elements and I knew Mai would agree that getting this information out ASAP would preserve as many people as possible.

I opened my menu and sent Argo my mapping data for floor 62 and then told her in as much detail about what I'd learned during our short disastrous fight. I talked about the spider that acted as the rooms boss until 30% HP damage, how it merged with the budha statue to make the true boss Kali while at the same time spewing a wide area blue webbing that paralyses players for at least 10 seconds. I also gave estimates on the attack strength of the club and an estimate for the sword.

"There was also something weird about the remaining legs, they blocked the torso like a shield, it may be a shield or it could be hiding a surprise power."

"Its amazing that you both survived, considering how you look like you're about to fall over Hirogawaan" she teased. I hadn't mentioned specific details that would allow Argo guess my stats or the weird Unity that activated and was now listed in my skills menu. Letting slip personal details like that had stabbed us in the back before.

We said our farewells and I went back home for some much needed rest. Maybe we'll join a larger party tomorrow and continue information gathering on that boss. Also, I had a sneaky suspicion that Unity may be one of the unique skill characteristics that so far only one player-Heathcliff had unlocked. It was grey and unaccessible now in my menu bar, so maybe there are requirements for when its active…

When I got into my apartment, I snuggled next to my beautiful sleeping Mai and drifted to sleep quickly. I didn't notice that the Unity was available in my menu screen.

* * *

><p>Epilogue.<p>

"Hmm so far we have 'share vitality,' 'counter cooperation,' and 'boosted partner healing' as parts of our Unity unique skill."

"It's the perfect skill for us, it brings us even closer together and we can do more for each other during battle, and its active during battle as long as we fight together."

"I wonder what the system requirements are to get unity.."

"Can't you guess? Silly Hirogawa"

Maikawa and Hirogawa smiled at each other companionably

"Tell mee"

"nope,"

[The End]


End file.
